India’s role vital in shaping future of employment: Shekhawat at G20 Employment Working Group
1 min read . Updated: 03 Feb 2023, 04:47 PM IST
PremiumEmployment and social security around the world has been affected by coronavirus pandemic, according to minister Shekhawat
New Delhi: Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday called upon members of the international community to strive to make meaningful progress in creating more opportunities for decent work and inclusive growth for all.
Addressing the G-20 Employment Working Group Meeting, the minister said that the challenges facing the global labour market are complex and far-reaching and it is only through cooperation and collaboration that we can hope to find meaningful solutions.
The three-day meeting began on Thursday in Jodhpur. A panel discussion was held on Thursday and sessions began on Friday.
Addressing the opening session, Shekhawat said the current situation of employment and social security around the world has been affected by coronavirus pandemic.
“Many small and medium-sized businesses have been particularly hit hard, leading to job losses across a wide range of sectors," he said.
Income inequality has risen as well as the number of people living in poverty. In many countries, governments had to spend more on fighting the pandemic, leaving less money for other programmes and services, the minister said.
“This has put a strain on social security systems. Efforts have been made by many countries in terms of providing economic stimulus and support for workers, but the employment and social security sectors are still facing challenges," he said.
To mitigate the economic blow of the pandemic, the minister said, the Indian government has taken several measures to ensure immediate relief and a relatively faster V-shaped recovery that is also inclusive.
He said India through world’s largest public distribution system, distributed food grains to 800 million people during the pandemic and continuing till date. Also, under the world’ largest government funded Health Assurance Scheme i.e. Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, India provides health coverage for over 500 million people, and collateral-free loans to help about 3.2 million street vendors, among others.
The minister said if all came together, issues important to the economic and social well-being of our nations can be addressed.
